UK and Ireland Cinema Takings Hit a Post-Covid Peak as The Minecraft Film Leads the Year's Charts

Cinema revenue across Britain and Ireland has recorded its best annual performance since the Covid pandemic, with A Minecraft Movie finishing 2025 as the number one film of the year.

A Steady Recovery in Revenue

Figures released by box-office analysts show that cinema takings in the UK and Ireland amounted to £1.07bn. This marks a rise of 1% on 2024’s total of £1.06bn. At the same time, there was a small drop in the volume of films released: 1,092 in 2025, against 1,124 in 2024.

This result is the highest total since 2019, which saw £1.35bn in total revenue. That was shortly before the steep decline of the physical cinema box office the following year, to £323.7m, as Covid restrictions had a devastating impact. Cinema revenues bounced back to £595.5m in 2021, and £980.7m in 2022, only surpassing £1bn in 2023, with a total of £1.06bn.

Pipeline Recovery and Changing Tactics

The numbers of films on release suggest that the movie-making engine, hit both by the pandemic and subsequent film industry strikes in 2023, has rebounded. It is, in fact, surpassing pre-pandemic levels; in 2019, 938 films were released.

Notably, though, a recalibration of strategy appears to be occurring. In 2025, 224 films were recorded as “saturation” releases (playing in over 250 venues simultaneously), compared with 200 in 2024 and 188 in 2019. Data indicates that Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale had the biggest debut in the UK in 2025, across 750 cinemas.

2025's Top Film

The top-earning film of 2025 in the UK and Ireland was the gaming adaptation A Minecraft Movie. Its viral impact, notably from the “chicken jockey” scene, has resulted in box office supremacy, with a total of £56.88m.

“Despite only a slight annual rise in box office, 2025 undoubtedly marked a major milestone in the sector’s recovery after the challenges of recent years. There is strong confidence that the coming months will see significant further progress.”

The film also led the 2025 North American box office but finished fifth at the worldwide box office, trailing the global leader, the Chinese animation Ne Zha 2.

British Productions and Event Cinema

Among British productions, the fourth Bridget Jones film, Mad About the Boy, finished the year as the most successful at the UK and Irish box office, taking £46.4m. It came far in front of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and 28 Years Later in second and third place.

The figures also revealed the ongoing popularity of “event cinema” releases, which took a total of £44m (4.1% of the total). This category included 10 films earning more than £1m. Among these was the record-breaking showing for a stage production; the film of the West End production Six the Musical amassed £6.2m.